Vault-light



PATENT OFFICE.

GABRIEL E. ROI-IMER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

VAULT-LIGHT.

Application filed January 24, 1918. Serial No. 213,512.

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GABRIEL E. Romans, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vault-Lights, of which they following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in vault lights, and the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, by way of example, is described with particular refcrence to such lights for plunge baths, although it will be understood that the invention may be utilized for other purposes, such for instance as side wall lights, theater foot lights, step lights and the like.

Much difliculty has been experienced in the past in providing plunge baths with lights. These lights which have heretofore been provided were very impractical because of the great expense of installing the same, and the inability to provide proper reflectors which would at the same time permit of convenient access to the electric lamps for renewal or other attention. These attempts in the past to provide lights for plunge baths have in most cases followed an arch or trench construction under the bottom and sides of the plunge bath, which necessitated a considerable change in the usual construction of the bath, requiring special reinforced concrete construction and materially weakening the whole structure.

It is an object of the present invention therefore to provide means by which such plunge baths may be illuminated at the bottom and sides in a manner which will simplify the construction of the bath, and with out danger to its solidity, and which will af? ford accessibility for installation and renewal of lamps. A further object of the invention is to provide such means in the form of individual reflecting units, preferably formed of terracotta, and provided with an enameled surface which will serve to reflect the rays of light into the plunge bath.

Another object of the invention is to protect the electrical connections and the lamps themselves from moisture from the bath, and to provide an improved vault glass con struction which will permit passage of the rays of light into the plunge bath, and will form a continuous surface with the bottom or sides of the bath as the case may be. A still further object is to provide ventilating means for carrying oif the carbon dioxid or other noxious gases which may form and accumulate in the passage through the illuminating units, which are usually at the lowermost part of the buildings.

lVith these and other objects in view, embodiments of my invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, and these embodiments will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a plunge bath provided with an embodiment of my improved vault lights;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section thereon;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of one of the illuminating units;

Fig. 4c is a vertical sectional view thereof;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View of the type of unit provided at one end of the passage provided beneath the plunge bath;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the type of unit provided at the entrance end of the passage beneath the plunge bath;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional View of a modified form of illuminating unit; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view ishgwing a modified means of hanging the ig its.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, in which there is shown a typical form of plunge bath 10, the bottom of the plunge bath is provided longitudinally with a channel 11 in which are placed the illuminating units 12.

These units are placed end to end as shown in elevation and section in Fig. 1, and are formed preferably of enameled terra cotta for reflective purposes, and to prevent absorption of moisture. With the exception of the end units which will be hereinafter referred to, the units are provided with a cir.- cular bore 13 extending entirely through the same, and having an open portion 14 at the upper side of the unit. The bore of the unit and the upper surface 15, and also other parts if desired, are coated with an enamel facing 16, the enamel concave surface of the bore 13 rendering the same highly relltl flective. The open portion 1 1 of the unit is provided at each side with a ledge 17, spaced from the upper surface 15 of the unit, and upon these ledges there is supported a frame 18 of gridiron formation, in which are set vault glasses 19. The ledges 17 are provided with grooves 17 into which fit ribs 18 of the frame to make a water tight joint. I

The joints 20 between the vault glasses are made water tight by means of plastic tar cement. The frames for'the vault glasses may beprovided upon individual units if desired, and suitably joined when the units are assembled, or one frame may extend continililously along the length of the plunge bat A groove 12 is provided at the bottom of the units, these grooves forming, a continuous channel when the units are placed end to end, for the purpose of collecting and throwing ofl moisture which might occur should any moisture be condensed in the units. Of course, while the illumination is going on, there would be heat enough to avoid this, but during periods where the same is not used, moisture would accumulate and make it disagreeable to the man who has to go in for the purpose of installing lights. Where the units are used on a slope, the groove may if desired be dispensed with.

At suitable intervals on the under side of the frame 18 there are provided depending bracket portions 21, having openings 22 therein, which are adapted to support the electric wire pipe 23, upon which there are provided the electric incandescent bulbs 24:. These bulbs may be spaced as desired, and are preferably disposed at an angle of A5 to the perpendicular axis of the unit. This enables therays of light to be reflected by the concave enamel surface of the bore 13 in the most effective manner. Pockets 12 and 12 are provided on the interior of the units, which enablesthe lights to be supported by branches 23 of the pipe 23, as shown in Fig. 9. This enables the lights to be installed before the frame 18 is put in place.

' The passage or canalization formed beneath the plunge bath by the units, is of an appropriate size, so as to permit a man to draw himself through the same upon his back, and have proper movement of his arms, so as to renew the lamps or otherwise attend to the electric light equipment. Any suitable number of passagesmay be provided beneath the plunge bath, according to the amount of light desired, and thesame form of unitsmay be provided at the sides to illuminate the side walls. 7

At the end of the passage, I. provide a special form of ventilating unit, closed at one end as at 25, and provided with an opening 26 therein in which there-is secured an outlet pi es? This ventilation of the reflector passages is necessary as such plunge baths are usually in the lowermost portion of a building, and permit of the accumulation of carbon dioxid or similar noxious gases, which would endanger the life of the operator working in the passage.

At the entrance end of the passage I provide a unit such as shown in Fig. 7, which is placed adjacent the man hole 28 and is provided at-its upper side with a bridge portion 28 adapted to form a support for the tiled sides of the plunge bath. A recessed corner portion 29 is provided in line and flush with the concave base corner tiles which extend entirely around the bottom perimeter of the plunge. The ventilating unit is similarly bridged as at 30, and is provided with a concave corner portion 81. V

In Fig. 8, I have illustrated a modified form of reflector unit 32, having a concave portion 33 coated with enamel to form a reflecting surface, the lamps being disposed in a channel 34. The vault glasses 35 are secured by plastic tar cement 36 in the vertical side 37 of the unit. This type of reflector unit is particularly adapted for vertical indirect lighting, the concave surface '33 reflecting the light in a lateral direction,

while the light itself is hidden in the channel 34:.

My improved reflector unit, it will be seen, has a highly reflective inner surface which effectually distributes and reflects the light stantial part of the construction ofthe bath,

and their upper surfaces have a smooth tilelike surface, they will not add materially to the cost of the bath, taking the place where they are substituted for the tile bottom of the bath of the tile itself.

My invention will adapt itself to many uses where a lighting unit is desired, such for instance as in the vertical or horizontal lighting of side walls, foot lights for the stage, step lights, side walks and the like. The same maybe formed of terracotta, as also pointed out, cast iron or other suitable structural material. 7 7

I have illustrated preferred and satisfactory embodiments of my invention, but it is obvious that changes may be madetherein within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A lighting unit of the character described, comprising an open end container member substantially U-shaped in cross section open at its upper side and provided with an inner reflective surface, said con tainer being impervious to light at both its upright and its bottom portions and adapted to be laid end to end with corresponding units to form a continuous channel, means pervious to light entirely covering the open upper side of said container member opposed to said reflective surface, a watertight connection between said last named means and said container member, and illuminating means disposed in said bore above said reflective surface and adapted to reflect the rays of light therefrom through said means pervious to light.

2. A lighting unit of the character described, comprising an open end container member substantially U-shaped in cross section open at its upper side and provided with an inner reflective surface, said container being impervious to light at both its upright and its bottom portions and adapted to be laid end to end with corresponding units to ,form a continuous channel, means pervious to light entirely covering the open upper side of said container member opposed to said reflective surface, a water-tight connection between said last named means and said container member, and illuminating means disposed beneath said means pervious to light, and spaced from the bottom of said container to provide a space within the container to permit the passage of a mans body therethrough.

3. A lighting building unit, comprising an open end container member, having a bore, and provided with a glazed inner reflective surface, a vault glass frame supported at the side of said container opposed to said reflective surface, vault glasses cemented in said frame to form a water tight covering for said container member, a depending bracket carried by said frame, and illumi nating means supported in said bore by said bracket, said reflective surface adapted to reflect the rays of light therefrom through said vault glasses.

4. A lighting building unit, comprising an open end container member having a bore,

and provided with a glazed inner reflective surface, a vault glass frame supported at the side of said container opposed to said reflective surface, vault glasses cemented in said frame to form a water-tight covering for said container member, supporting means disposed in said container relatively close to said vault glass frame and extending transversely across said container, and illuminating means supported thereby, the lower portion of said container between said illuminating means and said reflecting surface forming an unobstructed channel.

5. The combination with a structure to be illuminated, of a plurality of illuminating units built into said structure, and comprising open end container members open at the upper side, each provided with a bore communicating with the bore of the adjacent unit, said bore having aglazed reflective surface, continuous means pervious to light covering the open side of said containers opposed to said reflective surface, and illumie nating means disposed in the upper portion of said bore, said reflective surface adapted to reflect the rays of light therefrom through said covering means, the canalization formed by said successive bores adapted to permit of the passage of a mans body therethrough beneath said illuminating means.

6. The combination with a structure to be illuminated, of a plurality of illuminating units built into said structure, and comprising one piece open end container members open at their upper sides, each provided with a bore communicating with the bore of the adjacent unit, said bore having a glazed reflective surface the upper side of said units being flush with said structure to be illuminated and constituting a continuous surface therewith, continuous means pervious to light covering the open side of said containers opposed to said reflective surface, and illuminating means disposed in said bore, said reflective surface adapted to reflect the rays of light therefrom through said covering means, and means for ventilating the canalization formed by said successive bores.

7. The combination with a structure to be illuminated, of a plurality of illuminating units built into said structure, and comprising container members, each provided with a bore communicating with the bore of the adjacent unit, said bore having a glazed reflective surface, means pervious to light cov ering the side of said containers opposed to said reflective surface, and illuminating means disposed in said bore, said reflective surface adapted to reflect the rays of light therefrom through said covering means, and a channel in said bore adapted to receive condensed moisture formed in said bore.

8. A. lighting unit of the character described, comprising an open end container member U-shaped in cross section and open at its upper side, and having a bore provided with a reflecting inner surface, means pervious to light covering the upper open side of said container member opposed to said reflecting surface, supporting means and illuminating means supported thereby, said reflecting surface adapted to reflect the 'ays of light therefrom through said means pervious to light, said container being provided in its side walls with opposed pockets adapted to constitute auxiliary supporting means for said illuminating means.

9. The combination with a tank adapted to contain water, of a plurality of illuminating units built into said structure, and comprising container members each provided with a bore communicating with the bore of the adjacent unit, said bore having animner reflective surface, sa1d units being prov1ded vvlth lateral supporting ledges,

- means pervious to light supported onsaid ledges, and covering the side of said container member opposed to said reflective surface, illuminating means disposed in said bore, said reflective surface adapted to reflect the rays of light therefrom through GABRIEL E. ROHMER. 

